Mila and Barack: Friends without benefits

In this week’s issue of the U.K. magazine Stylist, Mila Kunis goes on about her love of politics and Barack Obama, though she is admittedly less enthusiastic about him now as she had been in 2008 when she cast her vote.

I love Barack Obama, I voted for him and I will forever be proud of my vote, so I can’t say anything bad against him…I know that he [Obama] tried. I know because you keep reading these reports of him trying to compromise with the Tea Party and the Republican Party and trying to come to a 50/50 agreement. I don’t think it was one.

Overall, the interview is very well done but I do have one gripe — the noting of how much food Kunis just ate and how large her appetite actually is. (The reporter hadn’t even been present for this supposed gorge-fest.)

This phenomenon of discussing what very thin actresses eat was described in The New York Times as recently as February with the acronym coined by Jerry Walker: DIPE (Documented Instance of Public Eating)

“DIPE is meant to convey the impression that a starlet is relaxed, approachable and game,” the Times notes — just like Kunis is portrayed in this interview. A real guy’s girl.

And indeed, that is the role she plays in Friends With Benefits. Yes, she is small and perhaps she really does have a hearty appetite to match. But why most all interviewers feel compelled to mention this?

As for me, I’d prefer some honesty along the lines of what True Blood’s Kristin Bauer told Popeater about maintaining her Hollywood physique:

The other day I realized as long as I’m in this business, I’m

going to be hungry. The camera really does add 10 pounds. I’m trying to stay under the weight I want to look like on TV.